Today in the MHSAA: 11/7/16
November 7, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The busiest championship weekend of the fall saw 12 MHSAA Finals winners crowned in cross country and boys soccer, plus many more in District volleyball and league girls swimming & diving.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Cross Country
The Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart girls won in record fashion as Traverse City St. Francis and Otsego repeated and Milford surprised the Division 1 field at Michigan International Speedway – Second Half
Saugatuck repeated as a boys champion, but in a different division, while Pewamo-Westphalia also won a title in a new division, Corunna won for the first time ever and White Lake Lakeland for the first time in a while – Second Half
Boys Soccer
Mattawan and Grand Rapids Catholic Central won their first MHSAA championships in the sport, as Burton Genesee Christian won its second straight and East Kentwood won its fifth total by taking a shootout – Second Half
Girls Swimming & Diving
Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Blanc edged No. 10 Brighton to win Saturday’s Kensington Lakes Activities Association Lakes meet as Brighton’s Taylor Seaman broke four league records – Livingston Daily Argus & Press
Midland Dow won its 11th straight Saginaw Valley League championship, led by three wins by freshman Claire Newman – Midland Daily News
Volleyball
Davison polished off its sixth District title in seven seasons with a sweep of Mount Morris in Class A – Flint Journal
Traverse City Central downed Gaylord for its first District title since 2008, in Class A – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Class A honorable mention Saline, meanwhile, won its first District title since 2005 with a sweep of Dexter – Saline Post
Allen Park claimed its fourth straight District title, downing Lincoln Park in Class A – Southgate News-Herald
Class B No. 7 Cadillac secured its 11th straight District title, sweeping Big Rapids – Cadillac News
Honorable mention Fruitport swept Montague in Class B for its first District title since 2011 – Muskegon Chronicle
After falling to Manchester in the District Final the last two seasons, Adrian Madison downed Manchester in the first round and went on to win in Class C – Adrian Daily Telegram
Crystal Falls Forest Park, also a state poll honorable mention, won its 17th straight District title, downing Wakefield-Marenisco in Class D – Ironwood Daily Globe
Pentwater won its fourth straight District title, sweeping Walkerville in Class D – Ludington Daily News
Did You See That? (May 6-12)
May 13, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It matters not which school you support: All of us cheer on those who emerge from sad or challenging circumstances to return to the field of play. Those are stories with which we all identify, no matter where they take place or the athletes involved.
Grass Lake's Julia Covill and the Grayling golf team are among those we cheered on last week. Read on for why.
Good Read of the Week
One more race: A little more than a year ago, Julia Covill suffered a broken pelvis, shattered femur and a smattering of other injuries after losing control of her vehicle on a patch of black ice. The volleyball and track and field standout hadn’t participated in sports since – but returned to the track for one more race Tuesday to earn a final victory, even in crossing the finishing line of the 200-meter dash last. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
Boys Golf
Grayling returns to the course: Long drives and birdie putts were less significant details as Grayling returned to competition Wednesday for the first time since a car crash that rocked the northern Lower Peninsula, resulting in three deaths and five more hospitalizations. (Petoskey News)
TC West record falls: Cam Murray shot a 67 on Tuesday as Traverse City West won its Big North Conference event with a team score of 306. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
Track and Field
Back on track: The Lake Linden-Hubbell boys and girls swept their home invitationals Friday in what was for many one of the first times those athletes had competed on a track this season thanks to lingering snow. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette)
Down to the finish: The Battle Creek Lakeview boys and girls teams swept their Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship meets Friday, with the Lakeview boys clinching in dramatic fashion by securing a one-point win with a 1.23-second victory in the final event of the day. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Boys Lacrosse
Haslett/Williamston takes big step: The Vikings earned their first Capital Area Activities Conference tournament championship with a 13-3 win over Holt, the three-time reigning champ that had beaten Haslett/Williamston 14-3 on April 27. The win pushed H/W into the No. 10 spot in today’s Division 2 state computer ranking. (Lansing State Journal)
Novi hangs on: Novi survived to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament championship game 7-6 after a last-second Brighton shot crossed the line just after time expired. (MLive Detroit)
Girls Tennis
FHN No. 1 again: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern continued to own its league Saturday, although this time in a new division. The Huskies won the first-ever O-K Bronze tournament championship by four points over Ada Forest Hills Eastern. FHN has won nine straight league titles. (Grand Rapids Press)
Wrestling
Meet Mr. Wrestler: Fowlerville’s Adam Coon added to his impressive list of accomplishments – including becoming the 17th MHSAA wrestler to win four Finals championships – when he was named Mr. Wrestler by the Michigan Wrestling Association. (Livingston County Daily Press & Argus)
Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame
High school stars inducted: High school standouts brought back plenty of memories as this year’s class was inducted Sunday into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame. (Marquette Mining Journal)
Boys Basketball
Root resigns after 30+ seasons: Longtime Flint Ainsworth and then Carman-Ainsworth basketball coach Bob Root resigned last week, potentially finishing a career that began at Flint Northern in 1978. (Flint Journal)